First views of Cairo from our hotel

Cheops to the Greeks, Khufu to Egyptians ...

... so nonchalant

Inscrutable as ever, despite the appalling restoration work going on

Ramses II at Memphis

Stepped pyramid at Saqqara

Mosque of Muhammad Ali, Cairo

Temple of Ramses II at Abu Simbel

Pharaoh smiting his enemies ...

... then receiving homage

Our brilliant guide, Magdi

One of those moments you just can't plan for

One of the many temples along the Nile - Philae

The unfinished obelisk at Aswan. A crack seems to have developed while they were carving it out of the solid rock, so they started making a smaller one but that cracked as well. So it was abandoned, but fascinating to be able to see the process.

Our boat - no heaving masses for us, in fact it was barely half full

Spotted in Kom Ombo

Original paint still visible after 2000 years. This temple - Edfu - had been filled with sand for most of that time, only dug out in the 19th century so very well preserved.

The Collossi of Memnon, near the entrance to the Valley of the Kings and the Queens

Valley of the Kings

Entrance to King Tut's tomb - no cameras ...

... unlike many of the other tombs, with fabulous decoration

Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, one of only two female Pharaohs.

Temple of Karnak, Luxor. The physical size and amount of construction is impossible to get one's head around

Another 'impossible' photograph. Crossing the Nile before dawn for a hot-air balloon trip. Bobbing up and down in a small boat, I caught the bottom of a trough or the top of a peak just right.

Inflating the balloon while we have a champagne breakfast.

Ready to go ... but the wind was in the wrong direction so we had to abandon.

Which gave us plenty of time to explore near the entrance to the Valley of the Queens where some of our group had opted for another tomb visit. Only a couple of years later a party of tourists were attacked by terrorists near that path.

Mohammed, friendly shopkeeper. I think he was so unused to tourists chatting with him one-to-one and treating him with respect that he gave us several small papyrus and two small statues - made for the tourists of course. It was only when I suggested he take it for his children that he would accept any money.